


Junktober Drabbles

by MsArachnid



Series: Junktober Drabbles and Fic [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Drabble Collection, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-13
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-08-01 15:50:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 6,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16287416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsArachnid/pseuds/MsArachnid
Summary: Daily drabbles for October for Junkrat and Roadhog in all sorts of settings. Warnings and AUs will be listed by chapter, and the first chapter will be a Table of Contents.





	1. Table of Contents

1\. Basketball, 461w : Junkrat discovers basketball, canonverse

2\. Ghosts, 100w : Roadhog-centric, canonverse

3\. Hungry, 370w : Jamie has a question, Vampire AU

4\. Time, 218w : Roadhog wishes someone away, Labyrinth AU

5\. Hospital, 317w : Jamie visits Roadhog in the hospital, Current AU

6\. Wedded, 405w : Junkenstein makes a bride for his monster but she's not what he wanted, Junkenstein AU

7\. Alone, 368w : A play staring Junkrat himself

8\. Posted separately

9\. Angel, 178w : They find Junkrat's mom, canonverse

10\. Fire, 165w : Jamie is hired for something, Current AU

11\. Rehab, 217w : follow up to 10, Current AU

12\. My BFF, 245w : kid!Jamie writes a paper for school, Kid AU

13\. Unwritten, 348w : canonverse, Junkrat forgot something and gets mad

14\. Status Update, 252w : continued from 13, Junkrat is spotted by an enemy

15\. Calm, 154w : continued from 14, Roadhog is calm

16\. Battle, 202w : Junkrat fights

17-23. Roadrat Monster week! Posted separately

24\. New Job, 413w : Jamie gets a new job, Roadhog worries

25\. Halloween (1978), 166w : they watch a movie

26\. Trick or Treak, 315w : kid!au, Jamie and Mako get ready to trick or treat

27\. Trick or Treat pt2, 323w : companion to 26, Jamie and Mako are a little older and bully some kids

28\. Ghost Stories, 235w : a random kid (oc) tells other kids (also ocs) about how awful and bad junkers are

29\. Found, 346w : follow-up to 28, Junkrat finds out what the kids are saying and their vacation is _ruined_ , he is Not Happy

30-31. The Attic/Finale, posted separately


	2. Basketball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Junkrat discovers basketball

The TV only got three channels.The hotel was a piece of crap so it wasn’t unexpected, but it _was_ annoying.

Hog would have preferred no channels.

Rat sat nose-length away from the screen, switching between the local news station, the local sports station, and some kids show, with channels and channels of loud static in between. Something caught his eye. “Hey!” He said, leaning back a bit and turning to look at Hog, “those guys look like me!”

Startled, Roadhog looked over. No one looked like Junkrat. The guys he referred to were on a court, every one of them looking like a normal person stretched out. They were tall, thin, and muscled, sure, but that was as far as the resemblance went. None of them looked starved, or had the look of a feral dog.

Roadhog grunted.

Junkrat continued to study it. “I could do that!” Roadhog doubted him. “They’re just, what, bouncing a ball around? Easy! And that one -,” he pointed, his finger leaving a smudge on the screen, “just threw the ball through that hoop! _I_ could do that! I could…,” he trailed off, getting a faraway look in his eye. “Wait.” Roadhog tensed, knowing exactly what was coming.

Junkrat lunged for their bag. Roadhog blocked, just barely.

“C’mon,” he whined, “lemme try! They bounce.”

Roadhog didn’t move.

Junkrat went dodged left, Roadhog went left. They went right. Junkrat laughed. “We’re doing it! Just like the guys on TV!” Roadhog stayed put.

They stood like until Junkrat got bored. Roadhog sank back down on the bed, bag in reach in case Junkrat made another attempt at it. Junkrat sat back down in front of the TV, following the players with his eyes. Roadhog watched what he could see over Rat’s head.

“Oh,” he said, “it’s basketball.”

Junkrat shot up. “What! You know this?”

“Sort of,” said Hog. He didn’t elaborate.

Junkrat pressed him for more. Roadhog resisted. He honestly didn’t remember much, just that he did a unit on it in high school gym class. All he knew was it included tall people, dribbling, and getting your ball into the other team’s hoop. He told as much to Junkrat, whose attention didn’t waver.

When he finished, Rat turned back to the screen and watched with a new, albeit vague, understanding.

**News Report Sat. April 3rd, 2077**  
_The escaped Australian Junkers were at it again last night, outside the sports shop on 14th St. Who knows what they were doing, but it was reported that the one who goes by Junkrat attempted to “dribble” with one of his bombs before “shooting” it into the “hoop” of a car window. It missed. The two evaded capture once again. 3 cars were lost, 8 damaged, and 14 people were injured._


	3. Ghosts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a Roadhog character study, a little

He is haunted, he knows. Not in the "this guy's seen some shit" way (though he certainly has), but in the literal "sees ghosts" way. 

He sees them everywhere: in windows, in crowds, being interviewed on TV. He sees them, glances away, and they're gone. 

He doesn't feel anything about them. He got out, they didn't. He survived, not them. 

It's not his fault no one would listen. 

The constant noise that accompanies his new partner helps. He thinks less, doesn't focus so much on the past. Doesn't focus on the future either, but that's not important. 

Now is.


	4. Hungry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jamie has some questions about his new partner in crime.
> 
> Absolutely based off of beetlerump's vampire au: http://beetlerump.tumblr.com/post/166113925753/some-more-vampire-au-about-how-hog-and-rat-met

“W-what _are_ you?” Jamie had asked.

“Hungry,” Mako responded, but that was months ago and since then, the two settled into so weird, symbiotic relationship. Jamie found the lowlifes, common and petty criminals who were lulled into a false sense of security because he _looked like_ them, and Mako took care of them. Jamie got their money, and Mako got meals.

No matter how many they went through, though, their numbers never seemed to decrease.

And Jamie still hadn’t gotten a straight answer. He didn’t keep bugging, true, but still. Eventually the truth would have to come out, right?

Not without prompting.

Mako came in the door, made for his room. Jamie started crashing on the couch a week into their acquaintanceship. 

Jamison jumped in front of him. He popped up, darted over, like some footage from a 1920s film played slightly too fast. He noticed too late that Mako was covered in blood. It wasn’t unusual, but would have been nice to remember before attempting a body-check.

“Where were you? What were you doing?”

Mako looked down, unamused. “This your place?”

Jamie tried to backtrack. “I mean, um. Why do you go out so often? Don’t I bring you enough?”

“No.” Mako pushed past Jamie into his room, but left the door open. “You help but it’s not enough. I’m always hungry.”

Jamie backed up towards the couch. “Oh. Why?”

Mako shrugged. “Dunno. ‘S always been like this. Never bothered to figure out _why_ , just tried to stop it. Nothing worked.”

Jamie studied Mako. He was pretty sure he knew why he had such trouble getting full. One body was enough for a normal-sized...whatever Mako called himself, but not nearly enough for a Mako-sized one.

Mako grunted as he sat on his bed, removed his shirt and scrubbed his face with it. “Doesn’t matter anyway.”

“Yeah.” Jamie tentatively approached Mako’s room. The door had never been open for this long. “Good thing there’s so much scum to eat, right?” He inched a bit further, enough to lean on the door frame.

Mako looked up and locked eyes with Jamie. “Sure,” he said and, quicker than should have been possible (too quickly for Jamie to react), advanced on him.


	5. Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Labyrinth AU. Jamie plays the role of Goblin King, Mako is something much worse.

He was lounging in the throne room when he heard the whisper. He perked up, along with all his subjects who were sitting with him. With a snap of a finger, he popped to the source. It was a car in an empty lot, with a very large man inside, on his phone. The man looked up and growled.

“What.”

Jamison, King of the Goblins and Second Son of the Fairy King, was honestly taken aback at this guy’s lack of a reaction to having company appear out of a sudden burst of fog and a lightshow. He beamed anyway and started his spiel. Throughout it, the man still seemed completely unphased. He wrapped up. “So, you’ll have 13 hours to complete it -”

“No.”

Jamie sputtered and stopped. “No?”

“No.”

“What the fuck d’ya mean ‘no’? You can’t not run it! If you don’t run it you don’t get your person back, you don’t learn anything! Don’t you know what happens to my prisoners?”

“I meant what I said,” ground out, almost as dark and dangerous as Jamison himself. “I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t mean it."

“Now,” the behemoth continued, “if that’s all, I’m leaving. You’re wasting my time.”

The car sped away, leaving Jamie gaping in his fog as his fireworks dwindled to nothing.


	6. Hospital

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jamie visits Mako in the hospital, with Lucio's help.

They raced each other into the hospital. No one stopped them. There was a kid waiting in front of an elevator, mashing the up button. The display was blank. They entered.

The whole ride up the kid kept glancing at Jamie. When they left he made a face at the kid, who gaped.

The elevator opened to a hallway, with no one to monitor the comings and goings of visitors. “You can just walk right in?” Jamie asked. “No one stops you?”

“Yeah?” Lucio said.

“So anyone could come in and no one would stop you?”

“Clearly,” Lucio laughed, gesturing at Jamie. Jamie didn't think that was very safe, but whatever.

Lucio led him to the room where Mako was staying. Just a bad asthma attack, they'd said. We’re gonna keep him overnight. Luckily Lucio volunteered at the hospital and knew his way around. 

There were a few nurses outside his room, gathered around a portable computer station and chatting. One looked up. “Are you here for Mr Rutledge?”

“Yeah,” Lucio said, saving Jamie who felt too unfocused to respond. 

“That's nice. He's sleeping now, but it's always nice to see family.”

“Not my family,” Jamie mumbled, and Lucio wasn't sure if he was referring to _his_ family, or if he meant he was not related to Mako. Either way, it didn't matter. 

Lucio nodded and thanked the nurse. They went in the room.

Mako was alone in a double room. The TV played lowly while Mako slept soundly in his bed. A sleep apnea machine was hooked up.

Upon seeing Mako, Jamie seemed to visibly relax, orient himself. He was where he wanted to be. He climbed into the bed (onto Mako, since there was no room otherwise), and curled up. Mako cracked open an eye, saw Jamie snuggling close, and put his arm around him.

Lucio left them alone and went to wait outside.


	7. Wedded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Junkenstein's monster seems unhappy. Junkenstein doesn't bother to ask why, and makes him a wife. His monster doesn't appreciate it.

He was _beautiful_. Huge, strong, soft - everything he wanted in a man, really. He’d done a fantastic job.

His monster didn’t love him back though, Jamie knew. He didn’t hold it against him. That wasn’t the point of his experiment, after all. The point was to prove he _could_ do it, and having his monster feel the same would have been a happy bonus. You don’t devote your life to creating someone and _not_ develop feeling, but maybe expecting the created to fall in love with _you_ crossed a line.

In any case, Junkenstein felt bad for his monster. He seemed lonely. Jamison knew he wasn’t good company. Too loud, too distracted to hold any kind of conversation, and his monster didn’t seem to enjoy them anyway. Quiet by nature, he hardly ever responded to the doctors remarks. He also no longer wandered off like he used to. Instead, he hung around the doctor, never far from his side, but never seeming to _want_ to be there, either. Junkenstein thought he was lonely, and did something about it.

He made his monster a bride.

It didn’t solve the problem. In fact, it seemed to make things worse.

The monster stopped shadowing him, didn’t spend time with his bride, didn’t wander off outside the grounds. All he did was isolate himself and destroy parts of the manor. His bride complained of loneliness, boredom, of not being able to please her husband in the way she thought she should.

Eventually the doctor decided enough was enough and sought out the monster himself. He found him in the cellar, bending and twisting the metal beams in front of the windows.

The monster paused when he entered, but otherwise ignored him.

“Why are you down here?” The doctor asked.

The monster said nothing.

“Why haven’t you come upstairs? Your bride misses you.”

“But you don’t.”

Taken aback, Junkenstein faltered. “Of course I miss you! That should go without saying! I _made_ you, I want you around!”

The monster turned towards him. “You pushed me off on some girl. Didn’t even ask what I wanted.”

“I thought you needed a companion.”

“I _had_ one.”

The doctor blushed, a little. “But you don’t like me? You never seemed to enjoy my company.”

“You never asked,” said his monster, finished with talking. Junkenstein slumped heavily onto the ground. As his companion went back to working out his frustration, Junkenstein thought: now what?


	8. Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Junkrat is the star of a play about...Junkrat! Some weird modern meta thing.

_The house lights dim as the curtain rises. On the stage is a_ BAR _with a few_ TABLES _and_ BARSTOOLS. _The backdrop is that of a dingy dive._ JUNKRAT _sits alone at a_ TABLE. _The spotlight is on him. Behind him are various_ JUNKERS _at the_ TABLES, BAR, _and elsewhere. They pantomime regular bar activities._

JUNKRAT _smiles widely at the audience, showing off a gold tooth. He is a tall man, and would be skeletal if not for his toned muscles. He has patchy blond hair and a fake arm and leg. He is shirtless._

JUNKRAT: I gotta tell ya, mate, livin’ in this town is expensive! It cost me an arm and a leg! _He laughs loudly, rocking his chair backwards and nearly falling over. Once finished, he leans forward conspiratorially._ But I found a way out. It’s a secret, and I ain’t tellin’ no one. Y’hear that? I ain’t tellin’ _he shouts_ NO ONE!

_Once ‘no one’ is said, the lights turn off for a moment. When they come back on,_ JUNKRAT _is alone on stage._

JUNKRAT: I found it. It was ME. I was out scavin’ with some mates and we went deeper than ever, and that’s where she sat! Couldn’t tell ya what it is, even if I wanted, but they way those other guys were lookin’ I knew it was worth the fight. I won, of course, and me ‘n’ the others got out ay-sap, before things got REALLY bad.

_In the background,_ JUNKERS _fill in again, doing what they did before they left. This time the group includes_ ROADHOG, _who enters behind_ JUNKRAT. _The set is silent and_ JUNKRAT _pays no attention to anyone behind him. He leans back a little._

JUNKRAT: But now it’s just me! Only I know about my treasure, except for…

_He trails off, counting the people he’s told on his fingers. The spotlight is replaced by the stage lights, and_ JUNKER #1 _starts for him, followed by_ #2, #3, _and_ #4. #2, #3, _and_ #4 _surround him at the_ TABLE _while_ JUNKER #1 _punches his left fist to his right hand._

JUNKER #1 : It’s YOU!

_Right before the stage goes black,_ ROADHOG _looks up. The curtain falls._


	9. Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys find Junkrat's mother. It's not a nice story. 
> 
> Warnings: death, mentioned child slavery

She lay in front of him, on the couch. There was no denying the family resemblance, but that didn't mean he had to _feel_ anything.

Not after what she'd done.

They'd found her not far from their shack, in a pool of blood. He wanted to leave her, Hog wanted to take her in. He'd forgiven _him_ , after all, maybe he could try to forgive her, too?

Honestly, Roadhog could be such a _sap_ sometimes.

Yes, Junkrat forgave Roadhog. He'd only been doing what he thought was right, what he thought would save his home. _She_ , on the other hand, had only thought of herself when she sold off a grubby kid into what was basically child slavery.

He thought about using the pillow, but thought that'd be far too kind and she should really just boil to death under the unforgiving sun, shrivel up with no water for miles and no energy to move. Like he'd done.

He used the pillow. He explained it all to Hog when he came back, who understood. Just like he thought.


	10. Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jamie is hired to start some fires. It doesn't go as planned.

He’d been hired to make the place unstable, dangerous. Not to come _down_ , but just to start a few fires around the place to save the owner a headache. Junkrat agreed because it would help him out in the long run. The owner bought the place with the intention of converting it into low-rent housing, but with the squatters and damage already present, it was just cheaper to raze and rebuild.

Which is where Junkrat came in. He was about to start the last fire when the floor shook. _Shit_ , something must have gone wrong because it was happening too fast and he couldn’t get out in time - !

He ran towards the fire escape, but this floor’s wasn’t connected to anything and there was nothing nearby. He turned back.

Smoke filled the air. He crawled along the floor, looking for the stairs, another window, a way _out_! Nothing. A section of ceiling to his left collapsed. The floor he was on gave way. He fell.


	11. Rehab

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to #10. Jamie wakes up in the hospital and things suck, and now he has a crush.

He awoke in a hospital, missing his missing leg. Shit. He’d been avoiding an upgrade for years, and now he was going to have to relearn to walk _again_.

At least his Physical Therapist was cute. As much as he wanted to get _out_ , some part of him didn’t want to leave his therapist. Jamie’s “clumsiness” didn’t get as much of a rise out of him as he’d hoped, but it was still fun to see the brief panic across his face.

The first time, anyway. After that he let Jamie fall.

One day while he was on the treadmill, Mako (finally, yes! _That_ was his name, Jamie could _never_ remember) said, “I know you started that fire.”

Jamie tripped for real, but caught himself on the bars. “It wasn’t! Just like I told the police, I was sleepin’ there. The fire woke me up."

“Sure,” Mako said, “But you don’t have any proof.”

“Neither do you!”

“The fact you were there is proof enough - that building should have been empty.” Jamie opened his mouth, but Mako put his hand up. “But that’s not my job. My job is to make sure you get better.”

“And?” Jamie asked, trying to wiggle his butt and strike a pose while still walking, “Am I?”

Mako shrugged. “It’s good enough.”


	12. My BFF

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kid!Jamie writes a school assignment about his best friend, a monster.
> 
> Warnings for bugs and the dark things in the woods

**_MY BFF, BY JAMIE AGE 7_ **

**My best friend is...** big and scary! He's shy. He doesn't like it when other people see him so he hides a lot. He likes me though! His name his Hog.

**My best friend lives...** by the woods at home. He doesn't like people at his house, so we never go there. Sometimes he comes to my house but only if I don't say anything to mum. When we play we dig holes and look for cool bugs to collect. I like the roly-polys best. Hog likes the thousand-leggers. I'm not allowed to keep them, so I give them to my friend. He doesn't mind. He takes off his face and eats them like candy. He says all bugs taste good. I don't believe him because I ate a worm once and it didn't taste very good. 

**I wish...** that I will be allowed to play at his house. But he says his home isn't safe for kids. That's dumb, it's just the woods! I wonder if he says that because his mom makes him eat so many green things and that's why he's so big. I want to have an adventure with him and go all over the world and play pranks on people and play in dirt. He says I can't do that until I'm older and passed some test, but I hate tests. I don't want to do more school so I can visit my best friend!


	13. Unwritten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> canon-verse, starts a series, 348w

They had no rules. They didn’t need them The job was Bodyguard, the pay fifty-fifty, and that was it.

They did have unofficial rules, though, little things they needed. Roadhog would let Junkrat chatter on and on, verbally working out his plans. Junkrat had to do all his washing up _alone_ , no matter how long it took. Roadhog got the lion’s share of any food.

They would never leave the other without notice.

_That_ rule needed clarifying, apparently, Junkrat thought. He should write it into the contract. He should write a contract.

_Shit_ , he should have written a contract!

This was the third day Roadhog had fucked off on his own to someplace. The first two days Junkrat didn’t ask, thought it was some unfinished Roadhog business. But no loose ends need _three days_ to tie up. This had to be something bigger. A conspiracy against him.

That _pig_!

Dirty, double-crossing - 

The door opened. Junkrat bristled. Roadhog ambled in, dropped off a few bags of takeout on the table.

“Ship leaves tomorrow,” he said, “We’re in cargo.” He brought a bag to a bed and settled down.

Junkrat stared. He _knew_ it. “No.”

Roadhog paused. “What?”

“What ship?” Junkrat asked. He sprung up from where he fumed on his bed, to fume in Roadhog’s face. He shoved the rest of the mask up so his entire face was on view. “When did we agree on a ship?!”

Roadhog gripped his hand hard enough for the metal to creak, but not hard enough to break. “Put. It. Back.”

Junkrat’s panic only grew. “How do I know this isn’t a ruse? That you’re not just sellin’ me to -”

Something snapped and Junkrat’s hand went limp, releasing the mask. Roadhog put it back.

“How do I know you’re not _lying_?” Junkrat screeched, “You have to _tell_ me when you decide something! _You wanted_ fifty-fifty!”

“ _Sorry_ ,” Roadhog ground out. “Boat’s the only way out. I told you.” He picked up another bag of food and went into the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

Junkrat screamed and began tearing apart the room.


	14. Status Update

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> continuation of #13, 252w

The man looked at his tablet to see a notification. His guy at the hotel had sent a message: Junkrat left the hotel.

_Alone._

He started his truck and followed the coordinates.

 

Junkrat grumbled as he walked along, careful to take the less-traveled streets. He’d left in a hurry to blow off steam, and hadn’t thought to conceal himself in any way.

He didn’t leave the hotel for three days because he didn’t want to _die_. There were still plenty of people this far out of Junkertown who knew _he_ was the guy with the treasure, and would be willing to kill for it.

Or kill him for some other reason.

Without Roadhog, he didn’t feel _safe_ leaving. 

But, y’know, _fuck_ that. Roadhog was plannin’ on selling him out, so who _cares_?

He continued walking.

He couldn’t believe he didn’t see it sooner. Roadhog never talked, never seemed friendly or to particularly _care_ about Junkrat. It was clear this was solely a business arrangement, and if something better came along, why _shouldn’t_ he take it?

A car was tailing him. He ducked down a side street.

The car followed.

Junkrat began to run, cursing his lack of foresight. He should have prepared better. Sure, he had some small bombs stored in his leg, arm, and fingers, but those wouldn’t be enough to deal with this guy.

Or would they?

He dropped into a dumpster and began to prepare, emptying his emergency compartments and pockets.

He waited for the car to get closer.


	15. Calm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> continuation of 13, 14  
> 154w

Roadhog felt comfortably full. No longer as angry as he’d been earlier, he stretched out on the bathroom floor. There wasn’t much room between the toilet, tub, and sink, but the tiles felt pleasantly cool on his back.

To get back at Junkrat, he’d eaten his lunch, too, and didn’t feel bad about it. Had to teach him a lesson about blowing up at the guy literally bringing home the bread.

He took a few deep breaths and tried not to think of anything. Meditating had never really worked for him, before. More recently he’d had more luck - it was surprisingly easy to distance yourself when you didn’t care. _Most_ recently had proven difficult, again. Like now. He kept seeing visions of Junkrat two days ago ordering him to find “some way out of this shitpile”, and visions of him today so angry about it.

What was _wrong_ with him?

Whatever. Roadhog drifted off.


	16. Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> continuation of 13, 14, 15
> 
> 202w

He knew it.

He knew it he knew it he knew it *heknewit*!

That fucking

Traitorous

 _Pig_!

He heard the car slow to a stop near the end of the alley. He peeked out of the dumpster and, yup, a guy was marching towards him, armed to the _fucking_ teeth.

He stood up and threw a small grenade, hoping it’d be good enough.

It wasn’t. It must have spent too long in his leg or something because all it did was bounce a few times before rolling to a stop.

At...the man’s feet. Who now knew exactly where he was hiding, and storming towards his dumpster to make swiss cheese of him.

Today was an awful day for Junkrat.

In a panic he threw out a small flashbang that - finally some luck! - went off in the guy’s face.

The guy screamed and fell back, allowing Junkrat to make his escape (but not before stealing some of the guy’s guns and setting off a smoke bomb to cover himself, as well as shooting the dud grenade until it too exploded).

Now armed, Junkrat started back to the hotel to face that fuck Roadhog, who had undoubtedly been responsible for the whole thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this mini series is unfinished because after this day monster week started, and then it was really close to halloween and i was in the mood for halloween things 
> 
> maybe i'll finish it, or just revamp it into its own fic someday


	17. The Job

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jamie gets a new job, Mako is worried  
> 413w
> 
> based on real things
> 
> cancer mentions

Mako was just getting home as his phone rang. A glance at the screen told him it was Jamie calling, so he answered. Before he could say anything, he was greeted by an earsplitting “I GOT IT!” He sighed. From the background noise, he could tell Jamie was on the bus, presumably headed home after his interview.

“The job?”

“Yes! $12 an hour, too! It’s only part-time seasonal, but the guy said if they like me they might make it permanent!”

“Good,” Mako said, dropping his stuff on the floor. He headed to the kitchen to make dinner.

“Anyway,” Jamie continued, “We’re about to go down the street with shit service, so I’m gonna go. Love ya, see you in a bit!” He ended the call before Mako could respond. Typical.

He sighed. He really was glad that Jamie had finally gotten a job - he’d been trying so _hard_ and getting frustrated - but did it have to be _there_?

Mako had had a few friends that worked there. The keywords here were "had” and “worked”, because they died while employed. One had an unfortunate run-in with a forklift, the others developed different types of cancer. It could be a coincidence, sure. Cancer was fairly prevalent, after all. It was just the _amount_ of people who got it while working there was pretty substantial, compared to other populations. 

Mako was pretty sure it had something to do with the empty field next to the store. It had always been empty, and surely there was a reason for that. He wasn’t the only one who felt that way - one group had managed to get the air above and surrounding the field tested. Not that it did anything. The ground itself, or the water should have been tested instead, Mako thought. Nothing ever grew in the field except for grass and some weeds.

There were some people who thought the land was cursed. That theory must have been pretty popular, since the lot had been for sale for _years_ ( _decades_ , even), the price going lower and lower, and no one buying.

As Mako set the table he heard Jamie begin unlocking the door. He tried to think happier thoughts. Jamie got a job! After months of searching!

Maybe he would be immune to the curse because he’d already been sick? Or maybe it only targeted full-timers, or - 

Jamie walked in and Mako grinned, sweeping him up in a hug. They’d talk tonight. Everything would be okay.


	18. Halloween (1978)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> movie night  
> 166w

Roadhog brought the movie up on the hollo-tablet. He leaned back and waited for Junkrat to come back with their popcorn.

After a few minutes, Junkrat came in, loaded down with snacks. Roadhog looked at him, then his stash.

“Oh, this?” He asked, picking up on the unasked question. “I didn’t know what kind you wanted, so I got microwaved and pre-popped. Then I heard you can eat _other_ things during movies, so I got other stuff. Look at these!” He held up a box of cookies. “They’re _orange_!”

Roadhog huffed, smiling. “Don’t get sick. You ready?”

Junkrat flopped onto the couch. “Yup!”

Roadhog hit play. As the opening credits started up, Junkrat asked, “What are we watching again?”

“Halloween.”

“But that’s the holiday? They made a movie about a holiday? Ugh, are we watching a documentary?”

“No. It’s a classic. Not very scary, but seasonal.”

Junkrat grumbled a bit. “Hm. Well, if you like it, I like it! What’ll we watch after?”

“Up to you.”


	19. Trick or Treat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the boys get ready for trick or treating  
> 315w
> 
> kid!au, based sort of on Roadhog's kid trick or treat spray

“Makoooo,” Jamie whined outside his bedroom door, slumped over dramatically. “Hurry _up_! We’re gonna be late and miss out on the good stuff!”

“We have time.” Mako said. “I have to fix my costume.”

Jamie tried weasling his way under the door, to snoop beneath the crack. “What’s wrong with it?”

He heard Mako huff and shuffle around. “Ripped my shirt.”

He closed one eye but still couldn’t make anything out. All he could see were shadows. He was about to respond, but the door opened. Mako stood on the other side, mostly dressed except for his mask. His shirt was indeed very ripped. The tear ran vertically, from the collar to the hem. It didn’t look the be the result of simple stretching, and Jamie wondered how it happened. It didn’t matter, Jamie though. It worked _well_ for the costume. “Perfect,” he breathed.

Mako must have misread his tone as annoyance, because he huffed and grabbed his hoodie. “You’re right, it’s bad. Dunno what I was thinking, it was old so of _course_ it was gonna rip, smaller than I thought. Or I’m bigger than I thought. Stupid to go out tonight, no one’s gonna believe ‘m 12, you should just go with friends…”

“No!” Jamie said. “I don’t have other friends. I want to go with you. If they think you’re a teen, so what? You’re dressed up, it’s the rules. If you dress up you get candy.”

“I _can’t_ dress up, though. You saw, you agree. It doesn’t fit, I look stupid.”

“ _No!_ ” Jamie said again, giving Mako’s arm a whack. “You’re not stupid, but you’re _being_ stupid. You look great! We can tape the shirt, it’ll look even better than before! You’ll make a great Frankenstein!”

Mako grumbled a little, but ultimately relented. He let Jamie tape the halves of his shirt together. Once done, they headed out to go trick-or-treating.


	20. Trick or Treat pt2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> continuation of 19: the boys grew up a bit and are now the scourge of the streets. Mako has a regret, briefly  
> 323w

Jamie stepped out from behind the bushes, right into the path of a group of kids. “Stop!” He held out his hands. “There’s a fee for walkin’ on this sidewalk. Gotta give us...oh, 50%, right Hoggo?” Mako, still standing behind the bushes, grunted. Jamie beamed. “Yup! You gotta give us half of everything you’ve got.”

“One kid, dressed as a knight, had the audacity to talk back. “You can’t _own_ a sidewalk. You can’t make us pay you.”

Jamie beamed. “Wanna bet?” He turned his head towards the bushes. “Need your help, Hog.”

Mako stepped into the streetlight. In 3 years he’d done a lot of growing, both up and out. The only thing that still fit from his last costume was the mask, which he wore now. Even that felt tight, the elastic string digging into his face.

The knight shut up. All the kids took a step back before dumping their bags into the pillowcase Jamie so graciously provided. He thanked them for their contribution and waved them on their way.

Mako stepped back into the shadows and looked at Jamie. “What?” he asked, but Mako kept staring.

“It’s not _mean_ ,” he said, “it’s _tradition_! _We_ had to do it. Well, I did. Before you.” He gave Mako’s stomach an appreciative pat. “Besides! It’s early. They’ll earn it all back soon.” He looked at their loot. “That enough? Nah, let’s hit up a few more groups, the goings too good.”

Mako said nothing. Standing here like this made him uncomfortable, and he wasn’t a fan of stealing candy from kids. He was even less a fan of playing a hulking _thing_ , and how he didn’t even need to do anything but scared them off anyway. Scaring adults and other teens was one thing, but scaring kids was another.

But it made Jamie happy, so he stayed. Later, they’d watch scary movies and eat all the candy. It’d be worth it.


	21. Ghost Stories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> some kid gets scared and hides in the trees. he's not alone  
> 235w
> 
> canonverse, some junker/aus headcanons, ocs

They crowded around the fire pit on the beach. Logan was there with his classmates, on an overnight trip for school. They were there to observe the sky: the clouds, hazy moon, and what little they could see of the stars.

They’d been told it was clearer here, near the water, than it was further inland. Nothing near as clear as before the explosion, but it was something. “You’re lucky,” their teachers told them, “people inland will never see the stars.”

Logan didn’t feel very lucky.

Ethan and Ryan were telling scary stories and trying to scare the girls. It wasn’t working. Amy’s mom was the head of police, so she wasn’t scared of _anything_.

Oh no, now they were talking about Junkers.

Logan wanted to go find a teacher, because these stories *were* scary. Everyone knew that the Junkers were responsible for the smog, and they didn’t feel pain and ate babies and watched people tear each other apart for sport. Everyone knew Junkers would steal bad kids and make them one of them or sell them to fight in the rings, so you _better_ be good. Junkers could _smell_ the badness on you.

He couldn’t find a teacher. He _did_ need to pee, though, but the bathroom was all the way on the other side of the beach, and he’d have to pass _Ryan_...

He snuck into the nearby trees.

He wasn’t alone.


	22. Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the boys are found and their vacation is RUINED
> 
> 346w

“When are they gonna _go_?” He heard someone stage whisper. “This was supposed to be _our_ vacation and now we have to share with some kids?”

He heard a low grumble in response that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He didn’t want to look. He wanted to run away.

He looked. Peeking through the trees, he saw two people, big and _bigger_. The one talking was impossibly thin, the other the complete opposite. Both were shirtless, dirty, _rusty_.

 _Junkers_.

Logan froze in his spot. He didn’t have to pee anymore.

“Do you _hear_ what they’re saying about us out there?” A pause. “ _No_ , I will _not_ be quiet! This is ridiculous! Fillin’ those kids’ heads up with _lies_ is what they’re doing. I’m gonna go out there and - “

The _really_ big one grabbed the big one’s harness. He gave him a firm shake.

“Ha...right...can’t blow our cover, can’t show our spot. Well, what if we took just one - since we’re _so_ good at kidnapping - and gave them the facts? Then they could go back to the nest and spread the good news!” Another pause. “No? Well lucky you, one’s just come to visit!”

The skinny one looked directly at Logan. Logan froze. The really big one laughed and walked over.

Logan tried to form words. “J-Junk-”

The Junker laughed. “See! He knows my name!” He bent down, shoved his face in Logan’s. His voice dropped low, dangerous. “That’s right. You run along now and tell your friends that _Junkrat_ doesn’t like what you’re sayin’ about ‘im.”

As Logan ran off he could hear Junkrat’s grumbles, getting softer the further he traveled. “ _Christ_ , Hog, why didn’t you do anything? Now we gotta find some other place to go, hurry _up_ before they find us.”

Back at the camp, Logan did relay his message. He was laughed at, because “what kind of Junker name is Junkrat?” The boys accused him of lying, but Logan didn’t sleep that night or many nights after, afraid of the Junkers lurking in the woods.


End file.
